Boot and shoe fastening.



S. WEATHERLEY.

BOOT AND SHOE FASTENING.

`APPLICATION mw APR. 13. 1914.

1,174,641. Patented Mar. 7,1916.

THB COLUMM PLANMRAPM cc.. WASHINGTON. n. C.

entran srafras rarnn'r ernten.

STUART WEATHERLEY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

BOOT AND SHOE FASJTENIVNG,

Application led April 13, 1914.

To all whomttlmay concern.'

Be it known that l, STUART lVnA'rHnRLEr, a subject of the King of England, and resident of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boot and Shoe Fastenings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a fastening device adapted to be used as a boot and shoe fastening, as well as for many other purposes where it is desired to provide a simple and quickly operated means for fastening or holding adioining edges of two portions of material together. f

The object of the invention is to provide a simple arrangement and construction for a fastening device of this nature and in carrying out the invention I provide a number of eyelets of peculiar construction which are secured to the adjacent edges of the shoe-top or other material to be fastened. A resilient member is secured to one of these eyelets at one end thereof and at its opposite end is provided with a portion through which a cord or lace may be passed. The opposite eyelet is provided with a portion extending somewhat above the material to which it is secured, which portion is formed so that the said cord or lace may be passed through the same. When the cord or lace is pulled the end of the resilient member is drawn transversely against the opposite eyelet, thus closing and holding the shoe-top, as will be described more fully hereinafter. The resilient member permits a yielding of the shoe-top when closed and thus provides greater fleXibility and ease to the wearer.

The above and other features of construction will appear more fully hereinafter in connection with the description of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings like parts in the several views have been given the same reference numerals. i

Figure 1 is a front view of a portion of a shoe-top provided with my improved fastening device. showing the same in its closed position. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the fastening released and in its partly open position. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through one of the fastening eyelets. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view through the opposite eyelet.

Speccaton of Letterslatent.,

gPatented Mar. 7, 1916.

Serial No. 831,380.

The two sections of a shoe-top are shown at l and 2, respectively, to which the eyelets 3 and 4 are secured.

A resilient member 5, which may be in the form of av coil spring flattened transversely, is secured to the eyelet 4 by engaging one end thereof beneath the inwardly projecting portions 6 and 7, as shown in Fig. 4.

T he projections 6 and 7 may be conveniently formed by punching out strips from the eyelet 4 and bending the same upwardly and inwardly to meet at the center, as shown in Fig. 4, the last coil on one end of the resilient member 5 being engaged beneath these inwardly proiecting members.

The eyelet 3 is provided with an upwardly extending loop 8. which may be conveniently formed by bending a wire ring at right angles and enga ging one portion of the ring beneath the bent-over portions of the eyelet. rllhe other portion of the ring will then eX- tend upwardly in the form shown in Fig. 3 and forms an opening through which the cord or lace 9 is passed'.

The outer or extending end of the resilient member 5 is provided with an opening through which the cord or lace 9 is passed. rThis may be conveniently formed by bending the end loop of the resilient member 5 at an angle with the remaining coils, as shown at 10.

The cord 9 is passed alternately through the successive openings provided by the loop 8 in the eyelet 3 and the loop or ring 10 at the end of the resilient member 5, the cord being secured at its lower end by any suitable means. When the cord is pulled from its upper end the fastenings and the two sections of the shoe-top are brought together from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 1 and are held in this closed position by tying or otherwise securing the cord at its upper end. Then it is desired to loosen or open the shoe-top the cord is pulled down from an intermediate point, thus loosening the same to permit the fastenings to be separated and opened. Vhen the shoe-top is secured together the resilient members 5 permit a slight yielding of the same and thus impart a flexibility to the shoe which it is not possible to obtain with a rigid fastening.

It will be noted that the device is extremely simple in construction and operation, may be cheaply manufactured and presents a neat appearance, as will be ob.- vious.

l do not Wish to be understood in limiting my invention in any sense to the particular form shoivn and described or to any particular material which may be used in its construction and, While the invention is intended primarily as a boot and shoe fastening, it Will be obvious that the same readily lends itseli` to various other uses. rlfhe draW- ings and descriptionherein are intended as illustrative merely of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims and not in a limiting sense.

hat I claim is:

l. A fastening device comprising a resilient member secured to one edge of the material to be fastened, means associated with the opposite edge and permanently connected to the resilient member, said means adapted to draw upon the resilient member thereby pulling the edges together.

2. A fastening device of the class described, comprising a plurality of resilient members secured to one edge of the material to be fastened, eyelets secured to the opposite edge, a member connected to the resilient members and adapted to pass through the eyelets constituting a means for tensioning the resilient members thereby drawing the edges together.

3. A fastening device of the character described, comprising a plurality of resilient members secured to one edge of the goods, eyelets secured to the opposite edge, and a lieXible element operatively associated with the resilient members and eyelets for plac ing the resilient. members under tension e thereby drawing the edges together.

fl. A fastening device of the Vclass described, comprising a resilient member detachably secured to one edge of the material to be fastened, and a member carried by the opposite edge and connected to the resilient member ccnstituting a means for tensioning the resilient members thereby drawing the edges together.

5. A fastening device of the character described, comprising a plurality of spring members detachably secured to one edge of the goods to be fastened, said members provided at their free ends with loops, a plurality of eyelets arranged on the opposite edge of the goods, and a flexible member adapted to be alternately laced through the loops and eyelets thereby constituting La means for tensioning lthe spring members and pulling the edges together.

Signed at the city, county and State of New York, this 10th day of April, 1914.

STUART TNEATHERLE Y.

Witnesses:

LEWIS J. DooLITTLE, (l1-ms. L. THATCHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

v Vashington, D. C. 

